Flight carrying Liverpool fans heading for Europa League final in Basel grounded minutes after taking off

The plane was forced to turn around due to smoke in the cabin

Breaking

BY KATHRYN CAIN

18th May 2016, 2:37 pm

Updated: 18th May 2016, 2:37 pm

A PLANE full of Liverpool FC fans has had to be evacuated minutes after take off after smoke was reportedly detected in the cabin.

Lufthansa flight 1204 from Frankfurt to Basel is said to have had to turn around and land at 12.37pm today just minutes after leaving.

A flight carrying Liverpool fans has had to turn back at Frankfurt shortly after take off, reportedly due to smoke in the cabin

Fans are now allegedly concerned whether they will get to the game in time

Seventy-four passengers and four crew were on board.

Fans had been heading to Basel in Switzerland to see Liverpool take on Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League final tonight.

Sunday Times football correspondent Jonathan Northcroft, who was on the flight, tweeted pictures of crowds waiting to get back on board saying: "Problem detected in cabin. Smoke. Paramedics asking if people feel ok. Most in 'selfies front of fire engines' mode."

He told The Sun: "We got airborne and after a couple of minutes they announced there was a problem in cabin.

"The plane banked and started turning round sharply. Fire engines waiting when we landed.

"The crew said to leave as quick as could and there seemed to be a wee bit of smoke in the air near pilot's end.

"Everyone is calm but the problem now will be getting us to the game."

A spokesman for Lufthansa said: "The flight had to turn back to Frankfurt because there was an indication of smoke in the cabin.

"The crew, according to our standards and procedures, then declared an emergency - although the flight landed normally at 1.37 our time or 12.37 GMT.

"As soon as possible after landing passengers were helped to leave the plane and get onto the tarmac using normal stairways and buses were there to take them to the terminal."

The company said it now had to examine the aircraft to find the cause of the technical failure and what caused the smoke.

The spokesman added: "We don't have a full picture yet of what happened."

He said all passengers would be rebooked onto the next flight to Basel which is at 3.30pm GMT, although there was another flight in the evening.

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